Broken Pieces of Our Lives
by MMLV
Summary: Things at the Dumping Ground have changed. The kids are ignoring Ryan's existance. And, in secret, they are creating a plan to rid their home of Ryan for good. Until a new girl arrives, Laurel. Despite their different personalities, Laurel and Ryan instantly click. But Laurel has a past that she is desperately trying to hide. At any cost.
1. New Faces

**Author's Note: This takes place after Season 4 Part A - after Episode 10.**

 **Chapter One: New Faces**

 **Ryan**

Downstairs, the usual commotion began. The little ones screaming. The older ones arguing. A couple of people ran past Ryan's room, without pausing to call out to him. Naturally. Everyone ignored him these days.

It was all Sasha's fault. She was the one that overheard Mike telling May-Li the whole story about the theft of Carmen's file. Of course, being Sasha, she told the entire household straight away. There hadn't been a chance for Ryan to get back at her, as she had moved back in with her mum and brothers only a few days after the truth had come out.

After that, no-one talked to Ryan at all. Not even Mo, who liked to see the good in people. Not even Harry, who had been Ryan's best friend. Least of all Carmen. It wasn't even that they played pranks on him, or made comments about him. They just forgot that he existed.

He refused to go downstairs anymore, not even for meals. May-Li brought him food. He only ever left his room to go to school. No-one seemed to care, except Mike and May-Li. They had tried to convince him to make peace with the others, but to no avail. It wasn't like the kids were going to forgive him any time soon.

Then, a few days, ago, Carmen had left. She had been fostered by a young couple, and no-one had heard from her since. Mike had told them that she was unlikely to return, as she was very happy in her new placement. Tee had cried. Ryan had stayed in his room.

He started as his door opened, revealing May-Li. She was holding a plate of toast and a glass of juice.

"I brought you some breakfast," she said, entering the room and setting the plate on the table. "Unless you want to come down, eat with the others…"

Ryan shook his head. "Are you sure you can't arrange a transfer?"

After hesitating, May-Li said: "I'm afraid not. No other care home nearby has any room for you."

 _Which means that none of them will take me._

"There's always fostering – "

"No way," Ryan said immediately.

May-Li sighed. "Well, it's your decision. Just tell us if you change your mind."

"I will," Ryan said. May-Li turned to leave, but paused.

"Oh, there's a new girl arriving after breakfast," she continued. "You should come and meet her."

"No."

"Come on, Ryan. You can't stay in your room forever. I'm aware of what's happened, but you need to try and make amends. With all due respect, you need to make some friends."

"I know," he said, "but I don't wanna talk to the others. And they don't wanna talk to me. All they're going to do is make the new girl hate me too."

Not wanting an argument, May-Li left.

Time passed quickly, and soon Ryan heard a car pull up outside.

"Come on!" Floss yelled. "She's here!"

Ryan waited until everyone had gone downstairs before leaving his room. He leaned over the banister and watched the throng of kids squirming like sardines below him. May-Li wrestled her way to the front.

"Is everyone here?" she called.

"Yes!" everyone chorused.

"Except Ryan," Mo added.

"I'm here," Ryan said quietly. Everyone raised their heads to stare at him. May-Li smiled momentarily, just as the door opened and a girl walked in.

The first thing that Ryan noticed was that she was very pretty. She could have easily rivalled Carmen for looks, although this girl wore no make-up. Her long copper hair was unwashed, and tied up in a high ponytail. Her clothes were nice, if not fashionable, and were too baggy on her slim figure. A pair of glasses were balanced on her freckled nose.

"This is Laurel," May-Li announced. The girl brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Hello," she whispered shyly.

 **Laurel**

She was astonished by the amount of kids waiting in the foyer. There had to be ten or eleven faces, all staring at her expectantly. She swallowed, and smiled.

"Hello," Laurel said. The gentle Asian woman who had introduced her stepped forward.

"I'm May-Li," she said. "Welcome to Ashdene Ridge. We all hope that you'll fit in here, with the kids." She gestured to them.

An older girl wearing a flowered dress came out of the crowd. "I'm Tee," she told Laurel. "I've been here the longest, so if you need anything, you can ask me." She held out her hand, and Laurel took it.

"Thanks, um, Tee," she said brightly.

"Where are you from?" a young, blonde-haired boy asked.

"Widnes," Laurel replied. "It's near Liverpool."

"Cool," piped up a young boy with glasses. "Ryan's from Liverpool." He pointed up the stairs.

Laurel followed his finger and saw another boy leaning precariously over the banister, high above her head. He had dark, scruffy blonde hair, and was wearing black skinny jeans and a dark red shirt. He held Laurel's gaze for a few moments, but didn't smile, even when she smiled at him. She looked away, back at May-Li.

"Go into the living room with these," May-Li said kindly. "I'll show you your room in a bit."

"Thank you," Laurel said, before following the crowd through the glass doors into the huge living room.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the dark blonde boy disappear up the stairs.

Tee sat Laurel down on the couch and dropped down next to her. "You're going to love it here," she assured her. "Everyone's really friendly. We're going to make sure you have a great time here."

"Do you know how long you're going to be here for?" asked a dark-skinned girl.

Laurel shook her head. "A while, I assume. I'm not going anywhere."

"Why?" said a red haired girl loudly. "Why're you here?"

"Floss!" scolded the dark girl.

"It's okay," Laurel said. She shifted uncomfortably. "I was… erm… neglected. By my parents."

"Most of us were, too," Tee said. She patted her shoulder. "Don't worry about it."

After a few minutes, Laurel had been told, if not learnt, everyone's names. The dark girl was Kazima, the redhead was Floss, the blonde boy was Harry, and the glasses-clad boy was Mo. The others were twins Billie and Toni, Jody, Finn, Tyler, and Bailey.

"What about the other boy?" Laurel asked.

Tee hesitated for a second. "What other boy?"

"The one that was on the stairs."

"Oh, you mean Ryan," one of the twins – Toni? – clarified.

Kazima cleared her throat. "Yes, well, you don't need to worry about him."

"What do you mean?" Laurel said, furrowing her brow.

"Ryan, well, did some things," Tee said cautiously. "Bad things. He almost got Mike fired by stealing someone's file."

"Really?"

"It'd probably be best if you stayed away from him," Bailey put in.

Laurel scratched her ear. "No."

"You what?" Floss cried.

"Well, no," Laurel said. "I don't want to get on the wrong side of anyone yet."

"Believe me," Bailey continued, "you'll get on the wrong side of him no matter what you do."

There was an awkward silence. Laurel slowly rose from her seat.

"You've all been very kind," she said. "And I hope to be friends with you all." She smiled at them, and went to the doorway. "I'm going to find my room. Please excuse me."

With that, she walked out of the door, halting for a second on the other side.

The kids exchanged glances.

"What do you think of her?" Jody muttered.

"She seems nice," Mo said.

"You think everyone is nice," Bailey said, elbowing him.

"But she is nice," Tee said.

"She didn't take our advice about Ryan," Tyler whispered.

"Come on," Tee said, defending the new kid. "She doesn't know the rest of the story yet. When she does, she'll come running back to us. Believe me."


	2. Making Friends

**Chapter Two: Making Friends**

 **Ryan**

Ryan stood in the doorway to his room, his arms folded. May-Li had brought up most of the new girl's suitcases and left them in Tee and Sasha's old room. Tee had moved in with Kazima since the departure of their respective roommates.

Footsteps echoed on the stairs. Ryan backed into his room and sat nonchalantly on the bed, just as the new girl walked past.

"Hey," Ryan said casually.

The girl backed up and looked through the doorway.

"Hi."

"Come in, then," Ryan said, sitting up straighter. "I'm Ryan."

"So I heard," she replied. She took one step forward, entering the threshold. "I'm Laurel."

"So I heard," Ryan countered.

Laurel came a bit closer. "The others told me about you."

"Horror stories, no doubt."

"Yes, actually," Laurel said, fiddling with her watch. It seemed expensive. "Something about stealing a file?"

"My greatest triumph," Ryan said acidly. "I'm famous now."

"I think that infamous would be a better description of you," Laurel replied. "Everyone hates you."

"I hadn't noticed."

"They warned me against you, you know," she told him. "They told me it would be best if I stayed away from you."

Ryan couldn't think of anything to say to that. He got up and went to stand by the window. Laurel's wide violet eyes watched him with interest.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he snapped, a little harsher than he had intended.

Laurel raised her eyebrows. "Good." She turned around to face the door. "I'd better go and unpack. It was very nice meeting you, though."

Ryan said nothing.

He leaned against the wall as Laurel left, closing the door behind her.

 _Stupid, stupid. Why did you have to go and shout at her?_ Any chance of making her like him was surely out the window.

She seemed so nice, too.

 **Laurel**

Lunchtime arrived quickly. Mike, the care worker who had picked her up from the hospital, called everyone down at one to eat lunch. It was the first meal Laurel would have had in a week that wasn't hospital food, so she was looking forward to it.

She instantly dropped her clothes on her bed and ran towards the stairs. She slowed as she passed Ryan's room. His door was closed.

She felt guilty for walking out on him before. It was obvious that he was lonely and depressed, and she wasn't making him feel any better. She supposed she could always apologise to him at lunch.

However, to her surprise, Ryan wasn't there. Laurel took the only empty seat at the table, in between Tee and Bailey. All the little kids were sat together on one side of the table, the older ones on the other. May-Li was serving plates of spaghetti bolognaise. It looked really tasty.

"How's your room, Laurel?" Tee asked her.

"It's big," Laurel said, taking a bite of the spaghetti. It tasted better than she had imagined.

"Is it bigger than your room at home?"

"Not really," Laurel began, then she caught herself. "I mean, yes, it is, much."

She needed to watch what she was saying. If she wasn't careful, someone might see through her, and force the truth out of her. That was the last thing she wanted to happen, at least not on her first day. Not now she'd already lied to them.

Ryan still didn't come downstairs. Laurel saw May-Li go upstairs with a plate of sandwiches, and she assumed they were for him.

"Where's Ryan?" she blurted out, before she could think about it. "Doesn't he eat with you?"

The kids all looked at her.

"Why is she taking such an interest in him?" she heard someone say.

"We told you," Tee said carefully. "He did some bad things."

"So, he isn't allowed to eat with you?"

"He chooses not to," Tyler said. "'Cos he knows that we won't talk to him."

"That seems a little unfair," Laurel said. She was aware that she probably shouldn't be playing the Samaritan on her first day, but she couldn't seem to keep her mouth shut. "And this is all to do with a file?"

"Not just the file," Bailey pointed out. "He let my dog out, and poor Mischief nearly got ran over."

"And he stole the computer from the office and let Tyler take the blame," Jody added.

"And he recorded Tee and edited it so it sounded like she was saying nasty stuff about us," Tyler said.

"And he told the papers that Kazima used to be a thief and nearly got her sent back to Somalia," Mo interjected.

"And – "

"I hope none of you are spreading rumours about Ryan."

Laurel whirled around. Mike had appeared in the kitchen, his arms crossed and his face stern.

"They aren't exactly rumours," Billie said.

"I know you all have your differences with Ryan," Mike told them, "but that is no reason to be bad-mouthing him to Laurel. I'm sure that she can make her own decisions regarding Ryan."

"Ryan is a liar and a thief!" Bailey shouted. "And she's just as bad if she's taking his side."

"Bailey!"

Uncomfortable now, Laurel stood up, the scraping sound of the chair silencing the room. "It's okay," Laurel said. "He can say what he likes." All the same, she left the room quickly, leaving behind her plate of cooling spaghetti.

"That wasn't a polite thing to say, Bailey," Mo said quietly.

"Still, I can't believe that she's defending him," Bailey shot back.

"It isn't anyone's business who Laurel decides to make friends with," Mike said firmly.

"Yes, Mike," everyone muttered.

"We can't let this happen," Jody whispered to Tee. "We have to keep her on our side."

"Don't worry," Tee whispered back. "We will."

 **Ryan**

There was a lot of shouting going on downstairs. Ryan dropped his sandwich and went to the stairs to investigate.

"Ryan is a liar and a thief!" he heard Bailey shout from the kitchen.

Harsh, Ryan thought. But true enough. He leaned further over the banister, straining to hear the heated conversation.

He heard more incoherent shouting, before Laurel ran out of the kitchen, her face pale. She took a step up the stairs, but stopped abruptly when she saw Ryan.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yes." She climbed up the stairs, pushing past Ryan to get to her own room. Smirking, Ryan followed her.

Her room was a mess, with clothes strewn all over the bed and the floor. Laurel jumped right in the middle of the bed, and began attempting to sort some of the things into piles.

"This is worse than my room," Ryan remarked.

Laurel laughed. "Thanks." She clambered off the bed and looked helplessly at the mountain of clothes. "I'm never going to be able to sort out all this."

"Do you need any help?"

Laurel looked up, astonished. "Really?"

"Sure," Ryan replied. He bent down and picked up a couple of her t-shirts, folded them neatly, and laid them in a drawer. Laurel watched him suspiciously.

"I'm not trying to steal anything, if that's what you're worried about," he said. Laurel immediately looked embarrassed.

"Sorry."

Ryan picked up a couple more t-shirts. Laurel collected several coat hangers from the wardrobe and began to hang some jackets on them.

"So, why are you in care?" Ryan asked her. Laurel stopped what she was doing.

"I was neglected," she said warily.

"You have a lot of nice stuff," Ryan observed. "For someone who was neglected."

"I've never really thought about it," she responded.

Sensing that that was a difficult subject, Ryan didn't say anything else, and instead concentrated on folding a pair of jeans. They both continued their work for a few minutes, until all of the clothes were put away. Laurel lay down on the bed. Ryan went to stand in the doorway.

"Thanks for your help," Laurel said eventually.

"Don't mention it."

"You know, you're not nearly as bad as the others say you are."

Ryan blinked. "Wow. Thanks."

"I – I didn't mean…"

"It's okay," Ryan said, grinning. "I know what you meant."

Laurel smiled back, and ducked her head.

Maybe she could be his friend after all.


	3. Discovering Secrets

**Chapter Three: Discovering Secrets**

 **Laurel**

The door opened all of a sudden, and Laurel and Ryan spun around as May-Li came in.

"Oh!" she said. "Hi, Ryan. I didn't expect to see you in here."

"I was helping Laurel unpack," he explained.

"I was just coming up to do that. Oh well, the job's done now. Are you settling in?" she asked Laurel, smiling pleasantly.

"Yes, thanks."

"Tee and Jody were just wondering if you wanted to go and play in the garden with them," May-Li said. She shot a glance at Ryan. "I'm sure you would be invited too."

Ryan looked unconvinced. "Nah. I think I'll just go back to my room." He edged past May-Li and returned to his own room. Laurel felt bad as she watched him.

"Are you coming, then?" May-Li asked. Laurel nodded, and left the room with her, going downstairs and into the huge garden.

Tee and Jody were already outside, chatting at the picnic table. A large, black and white border collie was lounging in the sunlight, his tongue lolling out happily as Bailey petted him. It jumped up as Laurel came outside, and bounded towards her.

"Hi," she said to it, stroking its head. "Is this Mischief?" she called to Bailey.

"Yeah," Bailey replied. "The one that Ryan nearly killed."

"Don't start," May-Li chastised him. "Laurel doesn't want to hear about your attitude towards Ryan any more. He's the one who had the idea to raise the money for his vet bill, if you recall."

"And he helped me unpack my stuff," Laurel added.

"I don't know why he's being so nice to you," Tee said. "He's never been anything but horrible to the rest of us."

"Maybe he's only nice to people who he likes," Laurel replied coolly. Tee raised her eyebrows.

"Strong words."

"Tee," Jody hissed.

"Sorry," Tee said, after a pause. Her voice held no trace of apology.

Not wanting to cause any further arguing, Laurel bent down and started scratching Mischief behind the ears. He nuzzled her hand.

"Do you want to play now?" Jody asked, trying to salvage the conversation. She took hold of Laurel's arm, but the girl winced and snatched it back. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Laurel muttered, tugging at her sleeve.

Jody narrowed her eyes. She grabbed Laurel's arm and yanked her sleeve up.

Laurel's arm was stained with ugly, yellowing bruises, extending all the way from her wrist to her elbow. Jody inhaled sharply. Laurel went cold. She stumbled backwards and pulled her sleeve back down.

"I thought you said you were neglected by your parents," Tee said, coming over "You didn't say anything about them abusing you."

"That's because they didn't," Laurel told her.

Jody reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. "Laurel. You don't have to cover up for them. They can't hurt you anymore."

"I said they didn't abuse me!" Laurel yelled hotly, shrugging off Jody's hand. She turned and ran back into the house.

Tee and Jody looked at each other.

"Well done, Jody," Tee said sarcastically.

 **Ryan**

Laurel's trip to the garden hadn't lasted ten minutes. Trust Tee and Jody to find some way to offend her. She had ended up in her room, not letting anyone in. Not even Ryan.

 _What am I saying? Why should she let me in? I'm the bully of Ashdene Ridge, remember? The person that everyone hates. Laurel has no reason to let me in._

May-Li and Mike were the only ones who had been admitted. Ryan had tried to eavesdrop on their conversation, but Laurel was crying so hard that he couldn't understand what she was saying. But he didn't think she was crying because of Tee and Jody.

He hid in his room when the care workers came back outside, but stayed against the door, listening.

"Poor girl," May-Li was saying.

"She was in a right state in the hospital," Mike said. They paused, right outside Ryan's door. "They thought she had concussion at first. They said she could have been paralysed."

 _Paralysed?_ Ryan thought, pressing his ear up against the door. _Hospital?_

"She was lucky," May-Li replied.

"You should have seen the state she was in in the car. Shaking and hyperventilating. It's understandable, I guess."

"Imagine going through that," May-Li said in a hushed voice. "It's one thing to have that happen to someone you know, but to have actually experienced it…" She trailed off. "And her arm."

"It looks bad, but the doctors said it was only bruises. They will heal themselves in a few days."

"Better bruises than the alternative."

Mike didn't reply, and Ryan heard them both go downstairs. He leant against the door.

 _Why has Laurel been in hospital?_

 **Laurel**

She had just released a fresh wave of tears when someone entered her room.

It was Ryan. He came and sat on the edge of her bed as Laurel cowered by the head. She dragged her sleeve across her face.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"I'm sorry about Tee and Jody," he said. "Whatever they did to offend you."

"Don't bother apologising," she said dismissively. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not. You're crying."

Laurel wiped her eyes self-consciously. "So? Everyone cries sometimes. Even you, I bet. Especially on the first day they're taken into care."

"In my defence, I was five," Ryan retaliated, tugging at his jacket. Laurel laughed slightly. "But that's not why you're crying, is it?"

Laurel's face fell. She turned away from Ryan, and let a few more tears fall onto her pillowcase.

"Sorry."

"Would you stop saying sorry?" Laurel muttered. "None of it is your fault."

Ryan didn't say anything for a few moments. Then, with a sigh of reluctance, he said, "Why are you in care?"

"I already told you," Laurel replied. "I was neglected."

"I don't believe you."

"What?" she cried, outraged.

Ryan shrugged. "Mike said you were in hospital. And that you have bruises on your arm. I think you were abused."

"That isn't true," Laurel said vehemently.

"What other explanation is there?"

"It isn't true!" she shouted suddenly. Ryan stopped, surprised. Laurel took a few deep breaths.

"Laurel – "

"Get out."

A pained expression on his face, Ryan stood up and left without saying another word.

Laurel pressed her face into her pillow. It hadn't even been a day yet, and they were already seeing through her. She should have known that the kids would jump straight to the conclusion of abuse. It seemed that lots of them had been through that sort of thing. She felt bad for lying to them all, but there was no way that she could reveal her secret any time soon.


	4. Sleepless Night

**Chapter Four: Sleepless Night**

 **Ryan**

The flickering red light of his clock displayed the time as almost two in the morning, but Ryan was unable to sleep. He tossed and turned in his bed. He couldn't stop thinking about Laurel.

With a sigh, he sat up and rubbed his eyes. Another six hours until May-Li called everyone down for breakfast. Six hours to do nothing.

 _Or six hours to do some snooping._

Ryan got out of bed slowly, taking care not to step on any creaky floorboards as he stole across the room. He pushed the door open carefully, listened for any signs that anyone was awake, and darted down the stairs.

The house was eerily silent at night, without the incessant shouting that accompanied the daylight hours. Shadows crept along the floor, and clung to the walls with long, groping fingers. The only noise was the sound of his own ragged breathing.

It was easy to find the key to the office; it was lying on the hallway table under a pile of paper. He unlocked the office door, wincing when it squeaked, and quickly opened the computer.

Ryan already knew what he was looking for. Laurel's file. Mike had reorganised the desktop since the last time he had meddled with it, but it was simple enough to find the kids' folders. The cursor lingered for a second over Ryan's name, but eventually clicked onto Laurel's name.

The folder was empty.

Ryan cussed under his breath. Trust Mike to fail to update the folders. In desperation, he clicked onto the emails and searched for the most recent ones. He found one dated a week ago.

To: mikemilligan@hotmail.co.uk

Cc:

From:

Subject: Laurel Brown

Mr Milligan,

I am writing on behalf of the North West Child Protection Services. I humbly beg a favour of you.

Earlier this week, a teenage girl entered our local hospital, for reasons currently undisclosed. She requires a place to stay urgently, as the hospital has told us that they will discharge her in a couple of days. It is thought that this arrangement will be temporary, just until we manage to find her a foster family.

We thank you for your generosity.

Regards,

Mr Smith

Interesting, Ryan thought. He clicked on the next one, dated two days ago.

To: mikemilligan@hotmail.co.uk

Cc:

From:

Subject: Laurel Brown

Mr Milligan,

We thank you for your kind offer to take in Laurel. Unfortunately, a small matter has arisen, which makes it seem that her stay with you will be more permanent. We hope that you are able to provide a lasting home for her at Ashdene Ridge.

As you have now agreed to shelter her, it is appropriate that you know why she is in hospital, and why she is in care. In a most tragic event –

"What are you doing?"

 **Laurel**

She lay in the pitch darkness. Her new bed felt like a million pebbles digging into her back, and her moth-eaten pillow scratched her head. The room was freezing. It was nothing like her bedroom at home.

Dinner had been an extremely awkward meal. All of the kids had kept asking her about her arm, and what had happened to her. Asking all the questions she did not want to answer.

Somewhere in the distance, a clock struck two in the morning. Laurel groaned and rolled onto her side. She had gone to bed at eight, just to escape the non-stop inquisition from the kids. Unfortunately, she was unable to go to sleep. She'd read somewhere that insomnia was a side effect of trauma, so maybe she was suffering from that.

She jumped as a door opened in the house, then cursed at herself for being so childish. She was only used to being in a house with three other people, so being in a house with fourteen other people was quite a change.

Footsteps ran past her doorway, accompanied by giggles. It sounded like Floss and the twins. Laurel wondered what they were doing. Part of her hoped that they wouldn't be caught.

It was too cold to sleep. She got out of bed and got her dressing-gown from the back of the door. Just as she did, another door opened a few rooms down. She only just heard it; whoever had opened it was good at sneaking around. She peeked around the door, just in time to see a silhouette slip around the corner.

The curiosity eating at her was too much to bear. Laurel pulled on her dressing gown and, taking care to be as quiet as possible, slipped through the gap in the doorway.

Laurel couldn't tell who the figure was, although she could make out the faint outline of red plaid pyjamas. She watched as he unlocked the office door and turned on the computer. She watched him carefully for a few minutes.

"What are you doing?" she whispered.

 **Ryan**

Ryan jumped almost out of his skin. He spun around and slowly exhaled.

"Jeez, Laurel."

Laurel was standing there in a purple fluffy dressing gown, her arms wrapped around herself for warmth. Her bare feet sank into the carpet.

"What are you doing?" she asked again, taking a step closer. Instinctively, Ryan turned off the computer.

"Nothing," he said innocently. "You?"

Laurel shifted her weight onto her other foot. "I couldn't sleep. I saw you go downstairs, so I followed you."

"You don't want to be sneaking around round here," Ryan told her. "People will think you have something to hide."

"They already think that," she said. "At least, you do." She paused. "I really was neglected – "

"I believe you," Ryan interrupted her.

Laurel stopped, and frowned. "Really?"

"Yeah," Ryan said.

"Oh. I mean, good."

"You okay?"

"Yes."

Ryan stared at her deep violet eyes, eyelashes brushing her cheeks. Something stirred inside him. "Laurel?"

"Yes?"

"Do you want to..." he trailed off. "Do you want to have breakfast with me tomorrow? In my room? I mean, you don't like the others, so…?"

Her face broke out into a wide smile.


	5. Bonding Moment

**Chapter Five: Bonding Moment**

 **Laurel**

Mike had kindly allowed Laurel and Ryan to eat breakfast together in his room. He had also provided them with a rack of hot, buttered toast and two glasses of orange juice. It was all going to be very romantic.

Laurel had to keep herself from laughing out loud. Romance was the furthest thing from her mind, especially because it was her second day in a care home.

 _Ryan probably doesn't even like me anyway_.

They were both on his bed: Ryan half-lying against the headboard, Laurel sitting cross-legged at the foot. She nibbled on a slice of toast.

"Why are you in care?" she asked him.

"My mum didn't take care of me and my sister properly," Ryan replied without emotion. "My primary school teacher phoned social services when she turned up to a parent's meeting drunk. So I was taken into care."

"What about your sister?"

"Mum was allowed to keep her, but a social worker had to visit the house every few weeks to make sure she was safe. Chloe – my sister – went into care a couple of years ago when Mum moved to America. Chloe's going to live with her in a couple of months." He fell silent, staring at nothing for a few moments. "I was five when I was separated from her."

"I'm sorry."

Ryan didn't seem to hear me. He looked up and smiled brightly. "Do you have any siblings?"

Laurel didn't say anything. She was thinking carefully about her answer. One wrong word, and her beautifully weaved cover could be blown.

"Yes. A younger sister."

"Like me," Ryan said. "Where is she?"

"Umm…" Laurel scratched her head. "She went to a different care home."

Ryan frowned. "That's weird. They don't usually separate siblings unless there's a good reason for it. Why did they do that?"

"I don't know," Laurel said. She laughed nervously. "I didn't make this up. It just happened."

Her glasses were falling down her nose. She pushed them up, as Ryan watched her suspiciously.

"How long have you been here?" she asked, changing the subject abruptly.

"Here? Only a few months. I've been in care for nine years, though."

"Where were you before here?"

"Place called Heathview House. I was fostered a few times though. None of them lasted more than two months."

"Why did you come here?"

Ryan dropped his gaze. "The kids there were too much to bear."

"Oh."

He caught her eye, then laughed. "It's okay. I don't mind telling you. It's not like it's a secret, anyway. Everyone else here knows."

"What's your sister like?" Laurel asked, hoping that it would be a safe topic. It seemed that way. Ryan smiled to himself as he talked about her.

"She's great. I just saw her last month. I hadn't seen her for nine years before that. She's twelve. Here – " He leaned over to the table, and grabbed a thick photo album.

Laurel felt herself inhale when his shirt lifted up slightly, revealing white skin.

 _Stop it, Laurel._

 **Ryan**

Ryan opened the album and leafed through a few pages. "That's her," he told Laurel, showing her a photo of a little girl with pale brown hair, smiling happily up at the camera from a wheelchair.

"She looks nice."

"She is," Ryan answered. He touched the photo for a second, stroking the cheek of the paper Chloe, lost in his own thoughts. "Come here, look at these."

Laurel crawled over the bed to sit next to Ryan. She watched as he went from page to page, and soaked up his history. He saw her smile as she stared at baby Ryan. He turned to the very start of the album, and showed her a photo of a young woman holding a tiny baby. Her face was tired and wan, and she looked distracted.

"Is that your mum?"

Ryan nodded. "It's the only photo I have of her." He went to turn the page, just as Laurel reached out to touch the photo. Her hand brushed against his. She immediately snatched it back as if she had been electrocuted.

"S-sorry," he muttered. Laurel blushed.

At that moment, Mike pushed open the door.

"Hi Laurel," he greeted. "Do you want to go downstairs for a while, maybe? Mingle with the others? It'd do you good to make some friends." He caught Ryan's eye. "More friends, I mean."

"Err, sure," Laurel said, getting up and going to the door. She stopped.

"Ryan, do you want to come?"

"No thanks."

"Oh, come on, Ryan," Mike said. "It'd be good for you to talk with the others."

Ryan swallowed, looking unsure. Laurel nodded encouragingly.

"Okay," he said finally.

 _Bad idea._

Several of the kids were in the living room. Harry, Jody and Floss were playing a card game. Tee and Kazima were spectating a game of pool between Tyler and Bailey. They all glanced at the door when Mike entered, followed by Laurel, then, cautiously, Ryan.

"What's he doing here?" Bailey asked, putting his cue down and advancing on Ryan.

"Ryan lives here too, Bailey," Mike said. "He's allowed to come in the living room."

Laurel perched on the edge of the couch, and Ryan sat next to her. He was aware of seven pairs of eyes boring into him.

"I'll leave you all to it, then," Mike said, clapping his hands together and grinning. He left the room and closed the door.

The tension was almost tangible.

"TV?" Jody suggested eventually. She pointed the remote at the TV and switched it to the news.

"A series of earthquakes in Japan has shocked the country…" the news anchor droned. Bailey and Tyler went back to their game. Ryan didn't look up from the floor.

He noticed that Laurel was fixated on the TV, her eyes wide and unblinking.

"You okay?" Ryan asked her. She blinked, and turned to look at Ryan.

"Fine," she said. It was barely a whisper.

"Do you not like the news or something?"

"Not this news." She pointed at the TV.

"The crash, which took place last Sunday, involved two cars and a lorry," the news anchor was saying. "The lorry had been overturned prior to the crash, and the driver was unharmed. Three people are known to have died; two adults and a young girl who were in the first car. The two occupants of the second car have received minor injuries."

"So what?" Ryan said. "It's sad, sure, but what's it got to do with you?"

"Nothing," Laurel managed.

"Social services is currently withholding information about the surviving girl – "

Laurel grabbed the remote off the arm of the couch, and quickly turned the TV off before the anchor could finish. Ryan saw tears filling her eyes.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He put his hand on her shoulder.

Laurel immediately jumped up and ran from the room. No-one made any attempt to follow her.

"What have you done now?" Kazima said.

"I'm sure Laurel will be grateful for your concern," Ryan said. The others looked at him, as if noticing for the first time that he was there. He got up and followed Laurel.

"Laurel?" he called, running up the stairs. "Laurel!"

 **Laurel**

She stumbled into her room blindly and slammed the door, tears dripping from her face. She sank down against the door, ignoring Ryan's worried knocking.

They were going to find out soon enough, unless she kept it better hidden.

She couldn't tell anyone.


	6. Broken Down

**Chapter Six: Broken Down**

 **Ryan**

Laurel didn't answer him when he begged for her to come out of her room. All that came from behind the door was ceaseless crying.

He ended up sat against the door, head resting back on it, listening to Laurel's quiet, pathetic sobs.

After a few minutes, Mike arrived. He looked confused at seeing Ryan sitting there.

"What's going on?"

"Laurel's upset," Ryan replied.

"Why?"

Ryan shrugged. "I don't know. She was watching the news and then she started crying and ran up here."

Mike stepped forward and knocked lightly.

"Laurel?"

No answer.

"Laurel? Can I come in?"

There was still no response, so Mike ushered Ryan away from the door and went in.

Ryan pressed himself up against the door, listening carefully. Their voices were too muffled to make out. He thought he heard Mike say something along the lines of 'It's hard to keep secrets from these kids'.

He stayed in front of the door for a few minutes, before it swung open and he stumbled back. Mike came out and closed the door, a thoughtful expression on his face. He jumped slightly when he noticed Ryan.

"Oh, hello Ryan," he said. "Still here?"

Ryan nodded. "Can I go in?"

Mike hesitated. "Best not for now. Laurel just needs some time to herself."

Folding his arms, Ryan left for his own room. He slammed the door and fell back onto his bed.

 **Laurel**

A few tears fell onto the glossy photo of her parents, smiling in the evening sun. She smiled wistfully. She turned to the page to see a photo of her and her sister playing together years ago. They looked so young.

The photos were dredging up the memories that she had been trying to avoid. She closed the album and returned it to its home under her bed.

It was a cold place where she was living now.

Laurel wanted Ryan to come back. She wished she hadn't sent him away, but it was too late now. She wanted Mike to get him, but Mike had gone. Probably to yell at the kids. She sighed in defeat.

 _God_.

The tears were streaming down her face before she even realised she was upset. She pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes, trying desperately to halt the flow. She brought a pillow to her face and pushed herself into it.

She wasn't able to quieten the sobs that wracked her body.

 **Ryan**

He was unable to wait for longer than ten minutes before he had to leave his room. There was nothing he could occupy himself with that took his mind off Laurel.

He heard Mike talking downstairs, so he sneaked down to see what was going on. It sounded like they were having a house meeting.

"It's important that you don't do anything to upset Laurel," Mike was saying. "She's very sensitive at this time, so don't do or say anything that could cause her distress. Understood?"

There was a moment of silence, before Ryan realised that the meeting was over. He ran back upstairs before Mike could see him.

He was about to return to his room when he heard the faint strains of someone crying. A girl.

Laurel.

Careful to be as quiet as possible, Ryan rounded the corner and made straight for Laurel's room. The door was closed, but the crying was much louder here. He knocked twice.

"Laurel?" he called. He knocked again. "You okay?"

Laurel didn't answer, although the crying paused.

"I'm coming in," he told her as he pushed the door open.

Laurel was sitting at the edge of her bed, cross-legged, hugging a pillow. Her eyes were lined with red, and her cheeks were wet. She looked thoroughly embarrassed at being seen like that.

"Oh my God, are you okay?" Ryan asked, rushing in and sitting next to her. She wiped her eyes.

"No," she admitted. Her voice was hoarse.

"What's wrong? I know that this place can be overwhelming, but you'll get used to it, I promise – "

She shook her head, and he stopped.

"It's not that," she said. She looked at the floor. "Look, Ryan, I haven't exactly been honest with you. In fact, I blatantly lied."

"What are you talking about?"

Laurel took a deep breath. Ryan couldn't quite manage to meet her eyes.

"Last week," Laurel whispered, "I went to a nature reserve with my parents and sister. We always went for days out like that. There was no arguing – why would there be? There never was." She looked at Ryan. "There was never any neglect."

"I don't understand," Ryan said.

"On the way home, we were driving on the motorway. Directly in front of us, there was a massive lorry. It was going too fast, and it overturned. We ran right into it." She faltered for a second. "My parents were killed instantly."

Ryan's breath caught in his throat.

"My sister died a few seconds later, when another car crashed into us." Ryan saw tears prickling in the corners of her eyes. "I was relatively unscathed. When the ambulance came, I was unconscious. They took me to hospital because they thought I had brain damage, but I turned out to be fine. Except for this." She rolled up her right sleeve, and Ryan saw a blanket of colourful bruises covering it. "And this." She lifted up her top to reveal a livid, jagged scar running from the bottom of her ribcage, all the way down past her hip, before disappearing underneath her jeans. She put it down, and covered her face with her hands.

Ryan was silent for what felt like hours. Finally, he said, "I thought you were abused. You acted like you were hiding something. And I heard Mike saying that you had been in hospital." He was quiet as he remembered something. "May-Li said you were lucky."

"I don't feel lucky."

There was nothing he could say. Laurel's breath was coming in short, ragged bursts, tears slowly winding down her face before dripping onto her hands.

"I didn't tell anyone because I didn't want to be felt sorry for," she said. "I didn't want anyone to treat me differently because of it. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you, I just… I couldn't."

"Why tell me now?" Ryan asked.

Laurel shrugged, sniffing. "I trust you. And I like you. I think you're a good person. I didn't want to lie to you any longer." All of a sudden, the tears came more freely, coming out of her in pitiful sobs. "It was so awful," she cried.

Ryan pulled her close into him. She gripped his shirt, sobbing into his chest. He wavered for a moment, then wrapped one arm around her shoulders, and rested his other hand on her hair.


	7. In Town

**Author's Note: Sorry I went AWOL for a year. Since there were no new episodes, I was no longer inspired. I'm back now.**

 **Chapter Seven: In Town**

 **Laurel**

That night was the first night in a week that she hadn't cried herself to sleep. Maybe her new counsellor was right, and it really was good to get stuff off your chest. Or maybe she had cried so much during the day that she had ran out of tears.

Ryan hadn't made an appearance when Mike called everyone down for breakfast. Laurel went past his room, but the door was closed. Shrugging, she continued down the stairs.

She wasn't looking forward to the day. Usually she would have gone out with her family or friends on a Sunday. Doing nothing all day was rare to her, and she wasn't remotely excited by it.

As she went past the office, Mike poked his head around the door.

"Laurel," he said, smiling, "could you come in here a moment, please?"

Laurel obliged. Mike was stood by the desk, his arms folded. He had a funny smile on his face, as if he was going to deliver bad news.

"Sit down," he said, gesturing to the sofa.

Laurel sat, feeling slightly nauseous. But after the week she'd had, no news could surprise her any more.

"It's about your parents' will."

"What about it?" Laurel replied. That was the last thing on her mind.

"It turns out," Mike said, "that they've left most of their money to you."

Laurel nodded. She hadn't been expecting much different.

"Of course, you can only receive the money when you turn eighteen."

She knew that.

"That includes any money you had of your own."

Laurel's head snapped up. "What? But that's mine! My own!"

"I'm sorry, Laurel, but it's the law. There's nothing I can do."

Laurel sighed and averted her eyes.

"Whatever. What about the rest of my stuff? Can I get it?"

Mike shook his head.

"What? Why?"

"It's – "

"The law. Right."

Disgusted, she left the room and closed the door behind her. She went into the kitchen, mildly affronted. As she sat down, ten heads turned to stare at her.

She had been expecting another barrage of questions, like yesterday, but none of them said anything to her. She supposed Mike or May-Li had told them to keep their mouths shut.

Laurel ate her breakfast quickly, wanting to go back upstairs as soon as possible. She was about to get up to leave when Tee spoke.

"Laurel," she said, "I'm sorry about yesterday. And the day before."

"Don't worry about it," Laurel said. "I was just a bit on edge. You know, the whole moving in thing. I overreacted."

Tee nodded. She shot a look at Kazima and nodded.

"Kazima and I were wondering if you would like to come shopping with us this morning?"

Laurel looked at Tee. She looked for all the world like she would love to hang out with Laurel. Nevertheless, Laurel was suspicious.

"With me?"

Kazima smiled and nodded.

"I – well, I suppose so," she said finally. _Why not?_ It would be good to get out of the house. That's the type of thing her dad would have said.

 **Ryan**

When he woke up, he dressed quickly and went straight to Laurel's room. The door was closed, and there was no answer when he knocked. He went in anyway, but the room was empty. Figuring Laurel must be at breakfast, Ryan went back to his room to wait for her.

When she finally came upstairs, she went straight past his room, even though he'd left the door open.

"Laurel?" he called. She didn't answer. He got up and peered around the doorframe. Laurel was hurrying along the corridor.

"Laurel!" he said again. She stopped and turned around, smiling sheepishly.

Ryan leant on the doorframe with his arms crossed.

"Do you want to hang out again today?" he said. Laurel's face fell.

"I can't today," she said. "Kazima and Tee invited me to go out with them."

Ryan turned sour at the mention of Tee. "And you're going?"he said incredulously.

"Well, I can't just stay with you all of the time," she said, laughing slightly.

"Why not?" Ryan said. "I thought you liked me – liked hanging out with me."

Laurel raised her eyebrows. "I do."

"Sure seems like it," Ryan said. He shook his head and retreated back into his room, slamming the door.

He regretted it the instant he had, but by then it was too late. Instead, he lay back down on his bed and closed his eyes.

 _What is wrong with you?_

 **Laurel**

She left with Tee and Kazima soon after. She was still upset at Ryan's reaction to her leaving, but she couldn't do anything about it.

 _He was being unreasonable. You didn't do anything wrong._

Still, she was pretty miserable. She had no money to buy anything with. She followed the other girls into shops aimlessly, waited while they bought things, then followed them back out.

On the other hand, she was intrigued. She had never been to Newcastle before, and was constantly looking around and admiring the city. Several times, Tee had to pause to grab Laurel's arm and drag her along.

"How long have you been in care for?" Kazima said finally, attempting to make conversation.

"A week," Laurel said absent-mindedly, gazing at a tall white building.

"Where were you before you came here?"

Laurel stopped. "Oh, um, a care home back in Widnes. It was just temporary, for a few days before they found me this place."

Kazima nodded.

"What about you?"

"A couple of years," Kazima said.

"I've been there for nearly a decade," Tee said.

"What, that exact care home?" Laurel said, amazed.

"Well, we had to move house four years ago," Tee said, "but technically, yes."

 _I hope I won't have to be there for a decade._

"How long has Ryan been there?" she said without thinking.

Kazima and Tee glanced at each other.

"Two years," Kazima said reluctantly.

"No offence, Laurel," Tee said, "but why do you care?"

"I don't."

"If I may give you a piece of advice," Kazima told her, "you should stay away from Ryan."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Laurel said, frustrated. "He's not a bad person, you know."

"He is," Tee insisted. "You don't understand. He always has an ulterior motive. Whatever the reason, he's just using you."

Laurel shook her head adamantly. "No, I don't believe that."

"It's true," Kazima said. "We just don't want to see you get hurt."

"That's hardly your problem," Laurel muttered.


	8. Initial Plan

**Chapter Eight: Initial Plan**

 **Ryan**

He was still annoyed after the events of the morning. May-Li had gone up to see him, and when he told her what had happened, she berated him. He shouldn't be so possessive of Laurel, she had said. If she wants to go out with her friends, she can.

 _But she's supposed to be my friend, not theirs. How can we be friends when she is conspiring with the enemy?_

What on earth was he talking about? The other kids hated him, sure, but that didn't mean they were plotting to kick him out. And even if they were, Laurel certainly wasn't.

 _But seriously, why does she want to hang out with them instead of me?_

Deep down, he knew he was being unfair. He didn't need May-Li to tell him that. But up until then, Laurel had barely spoken to any of the other kids, let alone tried to be friends with them. He had thought that she would be his friend, and only his.

Ryan was so lost in his anger that he barely noticed when the front door creaked shut. He heard voices downstairs; Kazima, it sounded like. He got up and quietly opened his door. The voices floated up to the landing.

"I'll join you in a minute," someone was saying. "I'll just put my bag away." It sounded like Laurel.

Ryan held his breath as she went past the door.

 _Past! She went past! She's been out all day, and can't even be bothered to see me when she gets home?_

He slammed the door shut in disgust and went back to his own bed.

 **Laurel**

She thought about nipping in to see Ryan when she got back, before she remembered his attitude towards her that morning. She knew that if she saw him, she would get angry with him.

So when she went upstairs to put her bag away, she walked straight past his room without even glancing at it. She fancied that his door was slightly ajar, but she was so determined to not look that she didn't bother to check. Instead, Laurel continued to her own room.

She had tucked her bag under her bed when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" she called, without even considering who it might be.

Fortunately, the person who entered was not Ryan; it was Kazima.

"Oh," Laurel said, "I was just about to go downstairs."

"I wouldn't bother," Kazima replied. "There's quite a shouting match at the moment. It's much quieter up here."

Laurel accepted this and shrugged, gesturing for Kazima to sit on the bed.

"How are you finding it here?" Kazima asked her.

"Fine," Laurel said. "I mean, a bit rowdy, but perfectly enjoyable."

"That's quite a good way to describe it," Kazima said, laughing. Then she sat in silence, glancing towards the door as if she was waiting for someone to burst through it.

"What are you waiting for?"

Kazima looked around. "Hmm? Oh, nothing." After a moment, she said: "Can I ask you something?"

Laurel nodded.

"Why do you _really_ like Ryan?"

Laurel sighed. "I've already told you. Because he's nice to me, and I feel sorry for him. I don't think it's fair that you've all turned against him."

"It's not like we really had a choice," Kazima said. "Ryan did some awful things. How can you forgive something like that?"

"Something like what?"

Kazima paused. "About a year ago, the council were trying to get me deported back to Somalia. We made a petition to let me stay. Ryan... he spoke to the newspapers and made everything worse."

"I'm sorry," Laurel said softly.

"It didn't work, obviously, and I'm still here. But I can't help but wonder what would've happened if Ryan had got his way."

Laurel bit her lip.

 _I'm going to need some kind of explanation._

"Look," Kazima said, "I understand that you want to make friends, and I know that Ryan has been oddly nice to you, but if it was me... well, I'll just say that we would make better friends than Ryan would. He's toxic. People around him tend to end up getting hurt."

 **Tee**

"Well, go after her! Stop her from coming down."

"I don't know if I can stall for that long," Kazima said.

"We'll only be a few minutes," Tee said. "I'll come up when we're done."

Kazima nodded reluctantly. Tee smiled at her and went into the living room.

The other kids were there already. The youngest ones - the twins, Floss, Harry, and Finn - were absent, as Tee didn't trust them with her plan. Harry especially, as he had been Ryan's best friend once, and Tee didn't want Harry to give anything away.

The other three of them were gathered together, with Jody and Tyler on the sofa, and Bailey on one of the chairs. The atmosphere in the room was one of secrecy and conspiracy.

"So, you have a plan?" Jody said. "What kind of plan?"

"The kind that will get Ryan out of our hair for good."

Tyler leaned back in his chair. "Go on, then."

Tee stood in the centre of the room, facing them all.

"Firstly, I have a message from Bailey," she said, gesturing to him.

"Last week," he said, "I heard Mike and May-Li talking about Ryan. They said that no care home for fifty miles would take him."

"That's that, then," Jody said. "What can we do?

"We just need to find a care home that will take him," Tee said. "There must be one that they've missed. One in London, or even Scotland."

"I suppose," Jody said, "but how are we going to do that?"

Tee shrugged. "Find a home on the internet and email them. Then get them to email Mike. The fact that Mike was looking for care homes proves that he'll be willing to let Ryan go."

Tyler nodded. "Okay," he said, "let's get to it." He went over to the computer.

"Oh, one last thing," Tee remembered. "Don't tell Laurel about any of this. I don't want her to turn against us."

"Why would she do that?" Jody said.

"Because she's, like, Ryan's girlfriend, obviously," Bailey replied.


End file.
